Fresh Recruitment at African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Reference: ADB/17/248/2
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL5
Position N°: 50068928

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery responsible for operational relevancy, efficiency and effectiveness of the Bank Group’s operational programs, and activities.
• The Vice President- Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery will ensure that the Bank operates successfully across its Regional Members Countries and will oversee the full implementation of all aspects of the Bank’s Regional Directorates.

The Hiring Department

• The Regional Development, Integration & Business Delivery department provides advice on strategic options for revenue generation and cost efficiencies of Bank’s operations and strategies.
• It provides direct and indirect operational input that contribute to the delivery of key performance targets through detailed high frequency reporting (dashboard) on the progress of work programs and relevant Bank initiatives. It also undertakes quality assurance, for quality at entry of Bank operations, and contribute towards strategy formulation and day-to-day administration.

The Position
This position is key to providing support and follow-up of business development and delivery and portfolio performance for results.
Working as a key member of the Bank’s multi-disciplinary country teams under the guidance of the Director General, the Regional Program Officer primarily focuses on the following:

• Supports and ensures performance and delivery of the Regional hub’s portfolio;
• Liaises with sector project task managers at headquarter and in the country/regional offices on issues of project development and management;
• Actively promotes and participates in country policy dialogue with the host government;
• Plays a key role in identifying, developing and managing Bank contacts with other international agencies in-country and in the coordination of the Banks ‘operations with those of the other partners;
• Contributes to Bank-wide public relations efforts and to knowledge generation, dissemination and utilization;
• Supports the Director General in office administration;
• Supports the Director General in identifying opportunities for co-financing with other agencies;
• Participates in team meetings, including programing country meetings to which Country Program Officer provides secretarial services.

Duties and Responsibilities
The position of the Regional Program Officer is based in the Regional Hub, and the incumbent reports to the Director General based in this Hub and has the following duties:

• Coordinate Portfolio Management and Country Programming
• Monitor and advise the Director General on the management of key performance indicators on portfolio performance, country program, Bank priorities and result indicators;
• Harmonize management reporting tools within the various Departments;
• Coordinate the work of the Country Programme Officers and sector staff in field offices  to ensure sound analysis and monitoring of portfolio developments including through regular reviews of country and regional portfolios with a view to identifying issues and proposing options for their resolution;
• Ensure that Country Programme Officers in the Region produce Quarterly Portfolio Status Reports, and Annual Portfolio Performance Reviews/Updates of Portfolio Improvement Plans (PIPs) as required;
• Ensure that Country Programme Officers are following up and reporting on implementation of Country Portfolio Improvement Plans;
• Lead the preparation of the Regional Portfolio Performance Reviews in collaboration with Country Programme Officers, Regional Economists and Sector Staff, work more closely with the regional economic communities and coordinate and monitor multinational programs with a focus on delivery on regional integration;
• Coordinate work of Country Programme Officers and sector staff in the monitoring and implementation of the recommendations of the Monthly Portfolio Flashlight Reports;
• Provide effective oversight to project task teams on quality and compliance with Bank operational processes and procedures (including referring them to the relevant responsible staff in fiduciary, legal, safeguards, or other specialized areas);
• Oversee the work of Sector staff in undertaking country and regional portfolio performance review processes with the Government and other Development Partners.
• Provide leadership and guidance in the work of Country Programme Officers that focuses on being responsible for quality control of key documents, taking part in dialogue with Government, Regional Economic Communities when necessary, and following up on agreed actions;
• Motivate and coach the senior/principal Country Programme Officers of the Region’s Country Offices;
• Motivate Country Team members to attend country team meetings;
• Support the Director General in ensuring country office team members actions are in accordance and complies with Bank Ethics, Regulations, Policies and guidance.
• Prepare portfolio related country briefs for Annual Meetings and other briefs to Management.
• Preparation of reports: Consolidate on a quarterly basis, a summary of the Quarterly Portfolio Report prepared by the Country Program Officer for the Director General, Deputy Director General, Country Program Officer and the Lead Economist:
  • Prepare on a monthly basis a synthesis of the implementation of the Region’s work program and highlight the bottlenecks and proposed solutions.
  • Monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the monthly portfolio flashlight reports.
• Project & Work Program Management: Work with Sector Experts responsible for specific projects to ensure that solution to pending projects’ problems are resolved;

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in in Economics, Social Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture/Forestry, Business Administration, Public Administration and knowledge of development issues.
• Have a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in the formulation and implementation of policies, programs and projects either within the Bank, with a similar development institution or in the Private Sector.
• Demonstrated experience in project development and implementation, in a multilateral financial institution with special focus on at least one of the sectors in the assigned Division.
• Experience with working in a team oriented, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary, international and professional environment.
• Experience in leading and developing teams and managing projects and programmes.
• Experience in the practice of procurement of goods/works, and the acquisition of consultancy services under donor funding conditions.
• Relevant and required experience gained on the African continent.
• Experience gained within multilateral development finance institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in the preparation and/or review of operations in a multilateral financial institution.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Business Acumen: Comprehensively understands projects structures, including project planning, risk management strategy, issue management strategy, communication management strategy, with an acute knowledge and understanding of the elements essential for the effective delivery and measurement of development impacts through projects and programs in Africa.
• Implementing Strategy: Highly developed strategic thinking skills allied to an ability to translate strategic concepts and direction into the implementation of workable and sustainable projects and programs.
• Negotiation: Highly developed negotiation skills proven to yield positive outcomes with senior counterparts, both internal and external, and understands when and how to apply tact, influence, maintain a hard line, make or break contacts, understand unwritten lines of influence and conduct oneself accordingly.
• Executing for Results:
  • High level of expertise in managing portfolio performance
  • Make effective, timely and well-determined interventions for results delivery.
  • Ability to provide comprehensive thought Leadership on Programme Delivery and related issues
  • Mentorship/Coaching Skills
  • People Management skills
  • Innovation & Creativity
  • Client Orientation
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Excellent Communication skills
  • Professional Expertise
  • Relationship management skills
  • Influencing skills
  • Decisiveness
  • Takes Initiative/Spotting Opportunity/Pushing Strategy
  • Highly organised & structured
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications and preferably SAP.

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Reference: ADB/17/395
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL5
Position N°: 50062501
Publication date: 22/08/2017

The Complex

• The Chief Economist/Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management (ECVP) is the Bank’s spokesperson on economic matters and the VP for the ‘Economics Governance and Knowledge Management Complex’.
• The Complex is responsible for:
  • Providing leadership and visibility for the Bank on economic, finance, financial governance and socio economic development issues; and coordinate the generation of analytical works to inform operational policy;
  • Systematically emphasize the critical role of knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and their tangible impact on sustainable, inclusive transformation of African economies.

The Hiring Department/Division

• The external role of the African Natural Resources Center’s (ECNR) is to support Regional Member Countries improve development outcomes through effective management of natural resources wealth by delivering practical solutions on policy, legislative and investment decisions in the sector. Internally, it brings cohesion to the Bank’s strategies in natural resources sectors by providing a single lens through which the institution addresses natural resources governance.
• As part of the African Natural Resources Center’s Department; the Policy Analysis Division assures providing strategic guidance and operational leadership for the Center’s analytics, knowledge management and to support Regional Member Countries and departments of the Bank deepen knowledge of natural resources.

The Position
The Senior Natural Resources Governance Officer will be responsible for contributing to the reliability of the bank's statistical data through the following main activities:

• Lead interventions that promote good governance and sustainable development of natural resources across all sectors;
• Lead programs of support to Regional Member Countries on resources governance policies;
• Coordinate provision of support to Regional Member Countries in developing policies for responsible stewardship of natural resources in sectors;
• Assist governments promote inclusive decision making, increase public participation and strengthen institutional capacity to regulate natural resources development;
• Promote sector governance frameworks, transparency, public participation, gender mainstreaming, social environmental impacts and equitable resource access;
• Manage relations with regional and international CSOs, consultants and institutional partners and relevant departments of the Bank.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager Policy Analysis, the Senior Natural Resources Governance Expert will:

• Lead the Center’s cross-cutting natural resources governance programs by promoting sustainable development principles.
• Collaborate with other Bank units to promote good governance of natural resources through analytics and advocacy work.
• Champion the Center’s work as relates to generic (not sector specific) principles of good governance of natural resources by increasing knowledge of the various challenges facing policy makers.
• Improve natural resources governance by designing and implementing knowledge building programs to support Civil Society Organisations.
• Improve public participation in policies on natural resources by conducting periodic multi-stakeholder advisory programs.
• Coordinate gender mainstreaming initiatives in African Natural Resources Center (ECNR) programs by guiding sector experts on best practice.
• Design policy guidelines to support Regional Member Countries achieve inclusive growth by advocating transparency and accountability in natural resources decision making.
• Manage partnerships by acting as the first point of contact on relations and designing collaborative initiatives with international, regional Civil Society Organisations and advocacy groups in natural resources sectors.
• Promote constructive dialogues between Regional Member Countries and key stakeholders by convening multi-stakeholders’ workshops.
• Keep abreast of global and regional trends on natural resources governance by conducting analytical studies, networking and undertaking self-development initiatives.
• Manage resources specific to own areas of responsibility by ensuring adequate financial and human resources to implement annual plans.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources, Policy Analysis, Development Economics, Resources Economics or Sustainable Development Policy.
• Have a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in any of the fields of expertise above.
• Private sector experience is an added advantage.
• Have strong knowledge of natural resources governance principles and practices and a good understanding of sustainability challenges facing the natural resources sector.
• Ability to design and implement capacity building support programs.
• Capacity to analyse public policy trends as pertains to the sector.
• Extensive knowledge in managing initiatives to promote public policy dialogue.
• Ability to engage effectively with global regional and natural advocacy groups in natural resources.
• Ability to produce funding proposals and managing relations with partners.
• Ability to conduct research, write reports and implement findings.
• Extensive practical knowledge for stakeholder management strategies and knowledge of gender mainstreaming principles and practices.
• Excellent spoken and written English or French, with a working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint).